Benji Marshall has fired back at suggestions Lachlan Galvin is being bullied by teammates as the Wests Tigers coach claimed he was blindsided by the notion he had stymied the five-eighth's development.

Following a week of turmoil that started when news broke on Monday that Galvin would not be with the Tigers beyond 2026, Marshall and co-captains Api Koroisau and Jarome Luai fronted the media on Thursday.

Yet there remains more questions than answers about Galvin's future, with Marshall unwilling to predict if the 19-year-old would see out his contract that runs until the end of next season.

Galvin, who enjoyed a blistering breakout season in 2024, turned his nose up at a five-year extension offer from the Tigers, indicating to club powerbrokers that he no longer wanted to be coached by Marshall.

The young gun, who has been heavily linked to Parramatta and Canterbury, is managed by influential player agent Isaac Moses, who is at loggerheads with Marshall.

Suggestions the teenage playmaker didn't rate Marshall's coaching sparked a chain of events that led to Galvin being dropped for Easter Monday's clash with Parramatta.

"One of our values is team first ... when someone's heart is not in it, it's hard to take the field with them every week," Koroisau said.

"We've got some guys fighting trying to get this club out of the hole it's been in the last three years."

The Tigers coach claimed he made the decision to axe Galvin in consultation with Koroisau and Luai, who said on Thursday that teammates didn't want to play with someone who did not give Marshall their full backing.

"You disrespect him, you disrespect us as a team, and I don't stand for that," Luai told reporters.

"Throwing support behind the coach, what we stand for as a club ? we're working hard to have team-first behaviours."

Galvin's decision to leave at the end of next season was met with ridicule, with winger Sunia Turuva and Luai taking veiled digs at the playmaker on their personal Instagram accounts.

Luai posted an image captioned "Team First", while Turuva uploaded a photo of Galvin's locker to the background of a song referencing money.

Marshall said he was concerned for Galvin, who appears to be a pawn in the Tigers' public relations war with Moses, but hit back at suggestions the teen had been bullied.

"I'm all about the mental wellbeing of our players and this has been tough for him and his parents, who are really good people and want the best for their son," Marshall said.

"I don't think he's being bullied by the other players.

"We don't stand for bullying, and I spoke to the team this morning about it - that's not us.

"We're not bullies, our players are not bullies. They had an emotional reaction ... but it's not bullying.

"I don't think (Turuva) should have done it ... but am I going to slap (him) on the wrist for it? No, we don't need that."

Marshall said he was surprised to hear criticism of his coaching, particularly as a premiership-winning five-eighth and his involvement in Galvin's blossoming career.

Under Marshall's guidance, Galvin became one the game's brightest young stars and was named in the Prime Minister's XIII.

The Tigers rate Galvin's talents so highly the five-year offer put to him was said to be worth close to $5 million.

"I was shocked by it and a little bit disappointed," Marshall said.

"Everyone thinks I can't coach anyway, so it's not that different from what's been said.

"He's played some pretty good footy in the last 12 months and whether that's because of me or because of him, who knows."

Marshall flagged that Galvin, who has been replaced by Adam Doueihi at five-eighth in first grade, would be in line for an NRL recall if he plays well in NSW Cup.

"He's got to go down there, play his best, and then earn some trust and respect back and put himself in the frame for selection next week," Marshall said.